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10 May 2006 : Column 396W—continued
E111 Forms
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to publicise the discontinuation of E111 forms; and if she will make a statement. [63065]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A major publicity campaign ran from October 2004 to March 2006 to publicise both the withdrawal of E111s and the introduction of the european health insurance card. Activities included the Department's press releases, information leaflets distributed through the travel trade pharmacies and general practitioner surgeries and to 17.5 million households through inserts in local free newspapers, national and local press advertising, a public information film, radio interviews and advertising on photo booths and at Heathrow airport.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances electroconvulsive therapy is administered; and if she will make a statement. [57582]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Mental Health Act 1983 sets out the circumstances in which people with a mental disorder who are being treated compulsorily under that act may receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The Act allows ECT to be given to patients who are under compulsory powers when a patient with capacity consents or if the patient's doctor prescribes it and a second opinion appointed doctor agrees to it. People can also receive ECT voluntarily. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the use of ECT in 2003. The guidance is available on NICE's website at www.nice.org.uk.
European Health Insurance Card
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 389W, on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), what percentage of EHIC forms have been processed within 21 days. [65768]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Over 99 per cent. of applications have been dispatched within 21 days of receipt. Further information from the customer was needed in the small percentage of cases where the target was not met.
Fibromyalgia
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of fibromyalgia in England has been in each of the last five years; what treatments are available on the NHS; and what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on fibromyalgia. [67168]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Data on the incidence of fibromyalgia are not collected. However, estimates suggest there are around 14,700 new cases in the United Kingdom each year.
People living with fibromyalgia have access to the full range of NHS treatments for this condition. A variety of painkillers are available to provide relief from pain, drugs can also be prescribed to help relieve the associated symptoms of tiredness, anxiety and muscle spasms.
The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, which receives its grant in aid from the Office of Science and Innovation, part of the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC is not currently funding research specifically into fibromyalgia although some basic research being undertaken would have relevance to developing a greater understanding of this condition.
Hearing Aids
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to reduce waiting times for hearing aids; and if she will make a statement. [69793]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Several initiatives were introduced through the modernising hearing aid services programme to increase capacity to deliver audiology services in England. These include the national framework contract (public private partnership) to bring in additional independent sector capacity, the development of a new degree to help to address the shortage of audiologists and the introduction of hearing direct which provides follow-up care and advice for some hearing aid users.
Influenza Vaccinations
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those aged over 65 years in the Peterborough constituency are expected to receive influenza vaccinations by the end of winter 2005-06. [52449]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Greater Peterborough Primary Care Partnership reports that 77.5 per cent. of people aged over 65 in the North Peterborough Primary Care Trust (PCT) area and 77.4 per cent. in the South Peterborough PCT area have received an influenza vaccination this winter.
Lupus
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of lupus there have been in Norfolk in the last five years. [64655]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected by the Department.
Mental Health
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities was on mental health in each of the last five years; what percentage of their total expenditure in each year each figure represents; and what assessment she has made of the trends in the proportion of the NHS budget spent on mental health services since 1992. [65983]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on expenditure by the national health service on mental health services in each year since 1992-93 is shown in the table. The table also shows the proportion of mental health expenditure as part of the hospital and community mental health services (HCHS) budget. The proportion of mental health spend has increased from 11.47 per cent. of the total HCHS budget in 1992-93 to 13.34 per cent. in 2003-04.
The data exclude social care spend on people with mental health problems, and expenditure concerning people treated in primary care for whom a specific diagnosis has not been reached. The figures therefore underestimate the total mental health expenditure.
In order to gain a more comprehensive picture of mental health spend, the Department commissioned national surveys of investment in mental health services in each year since 2001. The reports of four surveys covering the period from 2000-01 to 2004-05 are available from the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk. The survey covering the financial year 2005-06 will be placed on the Department's website shortly.
| Gross Expenditure: mental health elements (volume terms) | ||||||
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | |
| 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | |
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to publish her revised proposals for a Mental Health Bill. [69397]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 29 March 2006, Official Report, column 1066W.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical psychologists are employed by hospital trusts in West Sussex, expressed as (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent posts. [69345]
Caroline Flint: The number of clinical psychologists employed by hospital trusts in West Sussex expressed as headcount and full-time equivalent posts is shown in the table, which also provides data on the number clinical psychologists across the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area.
| NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified clinical psychologists in the Surrey and Sussex Health Authority area by organisation as at 30 September 2005 | |||
| Headcount | Full-time equivalent | ||
| Surrey and Sussex SHA | Q19 | 356 | 254 |
| Note: Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census 2005 |
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